Let me start by saying I adore the entire concept for this book. It is sort of like The Bachelor meets The Princess Diaries meets The Giver.

In this dystopian world, each person's life is strictly dictated by their "rank." Each rank (1-8) is tied to specific jobs, social status, opportunities, and even food rations. Everything is dictated by your number. When a prince comes of age, though, in the royal family, every girl of age can be entered into the lottery. This is really the only way your family can climb the social ladder.

America is in love with a boy in a class lower than hers. She decides to enter the lottery to appease her family and Aspen, however. She is surprised when she is picked to be part of the selection. As she enters a world completely foreign to her, she tries to resist the prince and the process. However, she quickly finds Maxon is far from the snobby, stuck up man she imagined.

I liked, as I said, the overall idea. The writing is great and builds the characters well. My biggest let down with this novel was that not a lot happened. There was a whole lot of setup for the characters, the palace, and the process. A love triangle ensued. But nothing was decided on. No major action happened. By the end of the book I was shocked that it was, in fact, the end. I felt like there wasn't enough tension or plot happening.

I think the series would be great to continue with. I just think for the first book in the series, there should have been a lot more exciting, tense moments.